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Can y'all help me how to rig my boom tent? I rigged it up today quickly (I had to make it to a meeting) but it's not great. I suspect I need some new lines and some good clips. But where is best to attach the get the most protection?

This might work:
https://stingysailor.com/2024/03/23/mak ... ns-bimini/

Very cool

PhysicsTeacher wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 4:32 pm This might work:

Chumpy36 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2025 4:27 pm Can y'all help me how to rig my boom tent? I rigged it up today quickly (I had to make it to a meeting) but it's not great. I suspect I need some new lines and some good clips. But where is best to attach the get the most protection?

Sometimes I have my boom tent over the siding hatch (like in your picture), sometimes it is over the cockpit, sometimes I rig two tents and cover both. It depends on the weather and what I'm trying to accomplish. I suspect you may find yourself rigging in similar ways.

Your goal is to connect the front corners of the tent to any convenient point forward of where you want the tent to be and the back corners to a similar point aft of where the tent should be. You want the sides of the tent to be in tension so that water will run off the tent evenly and not gather somewhere in the middle of the tent. It does not have to be extremely tight, but you don't want it to sag and collect water.

It looks like the lines are permanently attached to the tent. You can leave them attached and just extend the connections with additional lines or you can replace them. Whether you replace or extend the existing lines you can make the length of those lines adjustable with something like an adjustable grip hitch (what I learned in Boy Scouts as a "taught line hitch").

You may find it convenient to attach your lines to the lifeline. In that case you can use something like the Prussick knot to create a loop that you can slide to an appropriate spot anywhere on the lifeline. A square (reef) knot is fine for making the loop or you can use a fancier knot or even splice the line you use for the Prussik into a loop.

Thanks for the replies y'all. I ended up using shockcord and some cool clamshell cam thingies. Worked like a charm. Attaching it to the jib cars makes it easy to adjust for the right shape and using shockcord allows put the poptop up even if the tent is deployed. I think I'm gonna get a longer and wider version made out of canvas or sunbrella to cover the whole boom and widen it a bit.

That is a fine looking boom tent!

Hi Chumpy36!

Big improvements!
Nice!

We use the same paracord and clips on our Bimini fwd tiesdowns.
They work great!
Easily and infinitely adjustable.

We did notice on the plastic ones that after two or so boat seasons that they were showing their age in our sunny salty environment.
We replaced with the same type but in metal form rather than plastic and got the black UV ‘cats eyes’ reflective thread paracord.
They clips are much better and the lines really show up when hit by a search light which is a nice feature when out at night for a cooler evening cruise.

Best Regards,
Over Easy